Are CBS and Francesa At Odds?

If you’ve noticed Mike Francesa has stopped talking or complaining about his Fox Sports 1 simulcast being preempted, there’s a pretty good reason why.

The WFAN drive-time host said on his Tuesday show that the station’s owner, CBS Radio, sent him a letter threatening a lawsuit if he continued to use airtime on his show to discuss the simulcast.

Here’s what Francesa said, coincidently on his 25th anniversary at the station:

“Sometimes you get a cake or a watch, sometimes you get a letter threatening to sue you. That’s what I got. So that’s why we can’t talk about it right now. I’m frustrated, but there’s not much we can do.”

Remember, there were rumors that Francesa was negotiating with MSG while he continued to be dissatisfied with the FS1 arrangement.

“I was told not to say anything and I was handed a letter which in three different places says it will hold you liable and responsible for all the money in the agreement. That’s a threat. It was deemed a threat by the people who looked at it.

“So, semantics. Tell the truth. I was given it and I can produce it, so cease with the nonsense that I wasn’t given it. That’s just not factually correct and what you tried to say was very misleading in the statement.

“There was a letter handed to me which basically said, cease, otherwise you will be responsible for all the money if the deal blows up and that is what is known in the trade as a way of threatening your talent. If they’re saying I didn’t receive a letter that’s a lie. I did.

“If they’re saying there were no discussions between myself and certain people there were, and if they say the letter in some ways does not say they will take action then they haven’t read it, and I can produce it.”‘